Postalveolars

Postalveolars are consonants articulated with the tongue blade just behind the alveolar ridge, in the postalveolar region between the alveolar ridge and the hard palate. The term is often used interchangeably with palato-alveolar. In broad terms, the articulator makes contact or near-contact in this zone, creating a sound that is distinct from both alveolar and palatal consonants.

The most common postalveolar consonants are the sibilants and affricates: the voiceless fricative [ʃ] as in ship, the voiced fricative [ʒ] as in measure, the voiceless affricate [t͡ʃ] as in church, and the voiced affricate [d͡ʒ] as in judge. Some languages also have postalveolar fricatives or affricates that are slightly more palatalized or more retroflex. In many descriptions, these sounds are grouped together as palato-alveolar sounds.

Postalveolar sounds are often contrasted with alveolar sounds, which are articulated with the tongue tip or blade at the alveolar ridge, and with palatal sounds, which involve the body of the tongue near the palate. The place of articulation is described as just behind the alveolar ridge, often called between the alveolar and palatal regions.

Because the exact place of articulation can vary by language and by speaker, some grammars use either postalveolar or palato-alveolar to label this family. The term highlights the contact region rather than a single precise anatomical point, reflecting a range of articulations across languages.